Recently acquired a run of 60s and 70s Norway mint sets including the "tough" '68 set with the 2 Ore coin produced only for the set with a mntage over a little ove 3,400 . I am trying to find a realistic price/value outside of what is quoted in the Krause catalog. Values shown are from 2010 35th edition catalog Current catalog values are higher 1967 8 coin set in original soft plastic as issued dulled a bit from PVC. one end ssplit and taped. 2010 Krause value is $250 1968 8 coin set in original soft plastic as issued slightly dulled from PVC. 2010 Krause $1,050 1969 8 coin set in hard plastic holder and blue card insert holding coins with holder somewhat scuffed. Coins OK. Krause $55 to $125 ?? 1970 8 coin set in original soft plastic as issued. 2010 Krause is $225 1971 8 coin set in original soft plastic as issued some PVC dulling. a few green spots on 2 Ore coin. 2010 Krause is $100 1970 8 coin set in original soft plastic as issued. Slight PVC. 2010 Krause is $30 1973 7 coin set in original soft plastic as issued some PVC dulling. edges of softpac split and taped. 2010 Krause is $30 1974 6 coin set in original sandhill plastic as issued 2010 Krause is $45 1975 8 coin set in original sandhill plastic as issued. 2010 Krause is $75 All coins with PVC film should be able to be cleaned up with some acetone, but would require removal from the original packaging. Opinions on removing and conserving coins too. Any help with ascertaining realistic values in relation to the catalog values would be appreciated. Thanks
Holy smokes those are some really tough sets. These coins were among the first moderns that were recognized to be scarce in nice condition. People were just too smart to set aside modern coins so the only survivors were pretty much the mint sets. The mint sets were abused and cut up with many of the coins ending up in poundage or entirely lost because the value was close to nothing. Mintages of the sets were very low so now the coins are quite tough in nice condition. They aren't even common in VG because most of the surviving mintage was melted when they switched to the Euro in 2000. These have gone up only marginally since 2007 though.
Thanks for replies so far. These sets were obtained at issue and sent from a friend in Norway to the fellow I obtained them from. Unfortunately, they were not stored in a perfect enviroment - however, faired pretty well for the most part - no serious PVC damage, just hazing on some sets . Any more comments or ideas as to relative values (unconserved) to Krause would help. Thanks
Aren't we talking about Norway here? The country is not part of the European Union, and certainly not of the euro area ... Christian
It's typical for these sets to have damage and the Krause price does reflect almost pristine coins. Modern collectors primarily are seeking coins that are no question Uncs but bad surfaces can detract significantly from value. You said the '68 set wasn't as bad and much of the value in this set is the 1K. If it were mine I'd rate the set largely on the condition of this one coin. If it looks like it's just residue on the coin then I'd soak it in acetone but if it looks actually damaged I might be inclined to sell it cheap or sent it for conservation. Copper in these sets tends to be a little more likely to show damage. Acetone soaks will normally remove anything that hasn't eaten away at the coin. A good or a pristine set in the plastic should probably be sold as is if you don't want to keep the coins. Generally these unstable sets should be dismantled and the coins stabilized if you plan to keep them. Every year a smaller percentage survives in good condition and I used to lose a lot of sets but not one coin since I started soaking the coins. I think I'd eBay the sets if they are decent and I didn't want them. They sound like fairly nice sets from the description.
Thanks Clad... I am thinking along the same lines as you suggest. The sets that have some hazing have no obvious surface damage. Although, It would be great to keep these together in original packaging, some coins need a soak in Acetone. The individual values on the 68 coins and other higher value sets are still pretty lofty ( relatively) and in line with the mint set prices.... Appreciate the responses.
Keep in mind that if there's damage an acetone soak will reveal it. It can be hard to tell especially with aluminum and aluminum bronze. Cu/ ni usually isn't as tough to tell. If you don't care about the coins it could be a better bet to sell it and purchase any coins you need separately. This being said I believe you'll have good luck with the soak but will lose a few hundred dollars in "set value". You'll gain good coins that are safe for a few more decades. I doubt it matters to the conservers if you've soaked the coin first or not. I leave coins in acetone for a minimum of 1 hour and up to two days. As long as they keep looking better I keep them in. Be sure there's no water at all in the soak unless you use 91% alcohol and don't leave them in this over 12 hours or so. I use warm water to rinse them after the soak holding them by the edges after a good hand washing. Dry by patting very lightly with an absorbant (plush) towel. I do up to 50 at a time and flip them over in rows for a second pat. Good luck. Let us know the outcome, please.
